‘Very scary’: Students jump to escape fire

‘Very scary’: Students jump out rear window to escape morning fire

Firefighters battle a morning blaze in a variety store that’s also home to apartments. Two people, including a firefighter, were taken to hospital. Photo taken Thursday April 18, 2019. (Jonathan Juha/The London Free Press)

Two people, including a firefighter, have been taken to hospital with minor injuries following an early Thursday fire in the city’s east end.

London firefighters responded to a structure fire at 1004 Oxford St. shortly after 6:30 a.m. The building houses a variety store and three apartment units that are home to about 10 people, authorities say.

Malaykumar Bhavsar, a Fanshawe College student from India who lives in one of the apartments, said he was alerted of the fire by a roommate. He said all five occupants in his unit, all of whom are from India left the apartment by jumping through a back window.

“It was very scary. We could barely see because of the smoke,” said the first-year mechanical engineering student.

#LdnOnt firefighters are fighting a blaze at a variety store on Oxford Street East, just east of Quebec St. Police have closed the area to traffic between Quebec and Stuart streets. pic.twitter.com/wOpSPk29VH